PFC Chapter 260: Water Is My Baneful Element
Chapter 260: Water Is My Baneful Element
“Assassin!”
“There’s an assassin!”
Whenever Wangchuan came to the Commandery Government in ordinary times, he usually brought a squad with him, all elites from the branch helm at or above the martial artist level.
The group immediately snatched down their bows and took aim.
Arrows flew like a swarm of locusts toward the man running across the water.
The man was gaunt, but his hand techniques were astonishingly skillful. Shooting with both hands at once, he actually struck down every single Armor-Piercing Arrow with perfect accuracy.
That included the four Armor-Piercing Arrows Wangchuan had fired simultaneously.
A pair of flesh-and-blood palms, untouched by blades or swords.
Wangchuan narrowed his eyes and looked more carefully. Only then did he realize that the man was wearing a pair of gleaming silver metal claw gauntlets.
The gaunt man was bold because of his skill. Seizing the chance, he rapidly closed in on the Caobang ship.Smack!
His entire body plastered itself against the bow. The five fingers of his clawed hand were sharp and vicious as they lashed out. The piercing force easily punched through the hull, tearing open a hole in moments before he slipped straight into the cabin.
That sight made Wangchuan think of the Crimson Pavilion assassin he had once seen on the river. That one had been Fifth Rank and had smashed ships apart with brute force.
This man’s strength was clearly much inferior. He needed metal gauntlets just to break through an ordinary merchant vessel.
That meant he should be below Fourth Rank.
A Third-Rank martial artist!
“He’s inside!”
“Quick!”
“Protect the Helm Leader!”
Seeing how ferociously the enemy was charging in, the Caobang elites all tensed. They switched to sabers and swords and formed up in front of Wangchuan.
Wangchuan tossed aside the Iron-Reinforced Bow, drew his Hundredfold Steel Longsword, and silently activated 《Dragon-Elephant Body-Protection Technique》 and 《Black Tortoise Art》.
The pressure this Third-Rank martial artist brought him today was nowhere near what he had felt from the Crimson Pavilion assassin back then, nor was it comparable to the Five Poison Sect Branch Leader.
Because...
The Wangchuan of today was no longer the same as before.
CRACK!!
The deck beneath his feet was suddenly ripped open by something sharp.
Half of a clawed gauntlet thrust through it.
CRACK! CRACK!!
The tough planks of the deck were shredded apart in all directions one after another, and then a figure burst upward from below with unstoppable force.
Splash!
Wood splinters sprayed everywhere.
The attacker came in fiercely, striking as fast as lightning.
Caught off guard, the group was forced back.
Several martial artists who failed to retreat in time instantly gained several horrifying claw wounds across their chests and arms and were knocked from the bow into the river.
While parrying with his sword, Wangchuan leapt backward and landed on the river’s surface.
Tap! Tap!
Wangchuan ran across the water, pulling away from the ship.
Someone jumped from the vessel and gave chase behind him.
“Caobang cur, where do you think you’re going?!”
The gaunt man’s lightness skill was clearly superior. He shot forward and closed the distance, raking a claw at Wangchuan’s back.
Wangchuan hurriedly turned around. With a Returning Gaze at the Moon stance, he used the Hundredfold Steel Longsword in a coiling motion, blunting the opponent’s edge and reducing his attack by 15 points.
The subtle brilliance of Qingcheng Sword Art revealed itself.
The attacker was a Third-Rank martial artist, and the fist technique he used seemed to be Fourth Rank. His left hand feinted while his right delivered the true strike, pressing in at tremendous speed with a punch aimed straight at Wangchuan’s chest.
Wangchuan’s Third-Rank martial arts might have lacked polish, but his 《Dragon-Elephant Body-Protection Technique》 was at a high enough level. Sensing a chill at his chest, he raised his sword horizontally in time to block—
Bang!!
The sharp edge of the metal claw gauntlet exploded in a shower of sparks against the Hundredfold Steel Longsword, then the remaining force drove into Wangchuan’s chest.
But something tough stopped it, and it failed to pierce his skin.
Splash!!
Wangchuan, sword and all, was smashed down into the river.
The gaunt man’s brows tightened. Without hesitation, he plunged in after him.
Strike while he was down and finish him!
The two entered the water one after the other.
Pressed deep into the river by that powerful blow, Wangchuan’s heart turned solemn.
What immense force.
The attack power of that strike had to be over one hundred fifty points.
At the chest position, it could unleash double impact.
That meant three hundred points of attack power.
Fortunately, the Hundredfold Steel Longsword had blocked in time and weakened most of the blow. Otherwise, even with 《Dragon-Elephant Body-Protection Technique》 and his Chainmail Armor, he would likely have been badly injured already.
Splash!
The moment Wangchuan entered the river, he instinctively activated Underwater Killing Techniques. His eyes became clear as he saw the gaunt man pursuing him into the water...
The man’s gaze was sharp as he swiftly closed in.
“You really are asking to die.”
Wangchuan directly flicked the Hundredfold Steel Longsword out of his hand.
The sword shot through the river like a rainbow.
The gaunt man twisted sideways to avoid it.
The distance between them widened.
Then Wangchuan’s speed underwater suddenly increased.
《Water-Submerged Breath Regulation Art》 and Underwater Killing Techniques gave him remarkable ability in the water, and he quickly widened the gap between himself and the gaunt man...
At first, the gaunt man did not notice anything and continued chasing him deeper into the river.
But when he realized his water skills were far inferior and that the distance between them was growing wider and wider, indignation appeared on his face. He turned and began swimming upward.
Wangchuan’s eyes were as sharp as an eagle’s.
He instantly turned back.
He had been waiting for exactly this moment.
The moment he noticed the gaunt man rising and no longer watching him, he immediately wheeled around and gave chase.
At the same time—
he took the Heart-Piercing Crossbow hanging at his waist and, with practiced ease, drew an Armor-Piercing Crossbow Bolt from his belt and loaded it.
The gaunt man was getting closer and closer to the river’s surface.
Wangchuan finished loading and aimed at the man’s back.
Splash!
The gaunt man burst out of the water, and at the exact instant he drew in fresh air, Wangchuan pulled the trigger.
The huge spray and commotion from breaking the surface would interfere with a martial artist’s ability to locate danger by sound.
Thud!
The gaunt man only felt pain in his chest.
Then he saw that a crossbow bolt had already punched through it.
Blood rapidly poured out, staining the nearby river water red.
“Despicable!”
By instinct, the gaunt man clutched his wound and cursed aloud, trying to paddle away.
Then another crossbow bolt pierced through his body.
Wangchuan remained unhurried beneath the water, watching the man’s body while calmly loading again.
Although the gaunt man had already been struck by two bolts, his vitality was exceptionally tenacious. His legs continued kicking desperately to stay afloat.
Wangchuan silently raised the Heart-Piercing Crossbow and pulled the trigger a third time.
Thud!
Three blood-red Armor-Piercing Crossbow Bolts formed a triangle across the gaunt man’s chest.
He still was not dead.
But from blood loss, his face had turned pale, and his lips were dark blue. His body was growing heavier and heavier.
“Chen Banxian once told my fortune.”
“My five elements are incompatible with water.”
“Today...”
“I should never have entered the water!”
The fourth Armor-Piercing Crossbow Bolt pierced straight through the gaunt man’s throat, instantly emptying the remainder of his health bar.
Only then did he completely lose the ability to move, and his body sank heavily toward the riverbed.
Wangchuan still was not at ease. He gave the man another shot for good measure, and only after confirming that there was no reaction whatsoever did he finally swim over.
The pair of claw gauntlets on the gaunt man’s hands was obviously a fine piece of equipment.
This was the first time Wangchuan had seen equipment usable for fist techniques.
Without ceremony, he stripped off the pair of metal claw gauntlets, then searched the body all over. All he found were a few soggy banknotes...
Tch!
What a pauper!
That bit of silver was not even enough to repair his ship.
After confirming the man had nothing else on him, Wangchuan finally surfaced.
“Helm Leader!”
“The Helm Leader is over here!”
“Quick, give him a hand!”
After some effort, Wangchuan climbed back onto his battered ship and found four injured brothers lying nearby. Every one of them was soaked in blood, pale-faced, and looked utterly miserable.
“Is the assassin dead?”
“The Helm Leader killed the assassin!”
“The Helm Leader is mighty!”
When they saw the corpse Wangchuan was dragging behind him, every one of them showed wild joy.
Wangchuan’s face remained grim as he said,
“Do not spread this around!”
“Bandage their wounds.”
“We’re heading back!”